ABOUT P.R.A.Y.

Programs of Religious Activities with Youth (P.R.A.Y.) is a not-for-profit organization whose national board of directors includes representatives from Protestant and Independent Christian Churches and the national youth agencies.

 

Vision Statement

Young people are brought closer to Christ through dynamic programs that enable adults in their ministry with youth. Our programs and resources are offered through churches and youth agencies for them to work together for the benefit of youth.

 

Tag Line

Building Faith in Youth

 

Mission Statement

P.R.A.Y.'s mission statement is to "foster the Christian growth of children, youth, and families through churches and youth serving agencies." Everything that the P.R.A.Y. national board does is centered on the two parts of this mission statement: collaborations between churches and agencies, and the God and Country program.

 

Collaborations

P.R.A.Y. encourages collaborations between churches and youth agencies to benefit young people. Both organizations have unique resources in carrying out their work with children and youth, but when a congregation and a council work side-by-side sharing their resources, more young people can be served more effectively. Both organizations, working together for youth, can reach objectives not attainable by either working alone. P.R.A.Y. has developed several resources to encourage such collaborative efforts.

 

God and Country

P.R.A.Y. is best known for the God and Country religious awards program. The God and Country program helps young people to develop a deeper relationship with God and to understand how God is active in their lives and in the world around them. It is a Christian Education resource that uses Bible lessons paired with service projects to help young people not only to grow in Christian faith but to also express their faith by reaching out in love and in service to others. P.R.A.Y. encourages families, youth agencies, and Protestant congregations to use the God and Country series to foster spiritual growth in children, youth and families.

 

P.R.A.Y. Board vs. P.R.A.Y. Business Office

An important clarification needs to be made between the P.R.A.Y. national board and the P.R.A.Y. business office. The P.R.A.Y. national board is a Christian organization that oversees the God and Country program (it develops the curriculum and establishes all guidelines). The P.R.A.Y. business office is the order processing center. Because the P.R.A.Y. office handles religious recognitions orders on a full-time basis, other religious organizations have contracted with the P.R.A.Y. office to handle their programs (i.e. Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting, Friends Committee on Scouting, National Jewish Committee on Scouting, etc.). In these cases, the religious organizations themselves retain all responsibility for curriculum development and establishing program guidelines, and the P.R.A.Y. business office merely processes their orders. Over the years, the P.R.A.Y. business office (as indeed the P.R.A.Y. web page) has become an important interfaith resource.

 

History

1923             The Protestant Committee was formed under the auspices of the Federal Council of Churches.

 

1950             The Protestant Committee came under the National Council of Churches.

 

1954             The God and Country Program was established as an award for Boy Scouts (age 12 and up).

 

Late 1950’s    The Protestant Committee became independent of the National Council of Churches.

 

1960’s           The Protestant Committee worked with BSA on the Philmont conference and on Chaplaincy for the Jamboree and Philmont.

 

Early 1970’s    The God and Country program was revised and became coed.

            

                    The God and Country program expanded to three levels (God and Family, God and Church, God and Life).

 

                    The God and Service Adult Award was created.

 

1976             The Protestant Committee changed its name to the Commission for Church and Civic Youth Serving Agencies (CCYSA).

 

                    The CCYSA became coed.

 

                    P.R.A.Y. was created as the business office of the CCYSA.

 

                   The CCYSA continued to function as the Protestant Committee for BSA.

 

1982             Gene Hazlewood became the first full time Executive Director.

 

1983             Mark Hazlewood became the ED after his father’s death.

 

                    God and Me was launched.

 

1980’s           BSA re-established the Protestant Committee and slowly began to reclaim the controls of the Chaplaincy programs including the Philmont conference.

 

                    The Youthscope Newsletter was created.

 

1993             Developed stronger working relationships with BSA, GSUSA & CF. Led workshops at national CF and GSUSA meetings and various church conferences. Initiated telemarketing strategy to contact all BSA, GSUSA & CF councils.

 

1994             CCYAR Endowment Trust Fund created.

 

1997             Long range strategic planning session

 

Mission Statement:

The purpose of the C.C.Y.A.R. is to actively promote relationships between churches and youth-serving agencies in order to encourage the Christian spiritual growth of children, youth and families.

 

                   Created a P.R.A.Y. Director of Relationships position.

 

1998             Changed the legal corporate name from CCYAR to P.R.A.Y.

 

2001-04         God and Country curriculum was revised.          

 

2003              P.R.A.Y. adopted new Board Governance Policies

 

 

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